How long is DUI school in Georgia?

DUI school in Georgia is a 20-hour class plus a 130-question assessment, and most people finish the whole thing in less than a week. The 20 hours are split into several sessions, and state rules say all of them must be completed within four weeks, with no more than two sessions on any one day.

The official name is the DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program. The hours are the same at every certified school in Georgia, and the same for live online and in-person classes. What changes from school to school is how those hours are laid out across the week. This page covers the hours, the session rules, every deadline that applies, what slows people down, and how the class fits the reinstatement and interlock clocks.

How many hours of DUI school are required?

DUI school has two parts, and you need both to earn your Certificate of Completion.

Part	What it is	Time
Assessment Component	A 130-question screening about your alcohol and drug use and how it affects your driving	Done before the class starts; processed at least 30 minutes before the first session
Intervention Component	The class: therapeutic education and peer group counseling in a group setting	20 hours, over several sessions
Meal breaks	Required when two sessions are held on the same day	At least 1 hour, on top of the 20 hours

Georgia's rules require every student to attend the class "for the entire 20 hours," and no one may be admitted late or dismissed early from any session. There's no shortcut. Breaks within a session follow the course syllabus, and DDS policy says the meal break between two same-day sessions is in addition to the 20 hours, not part of them.

DUI school session by session

The rules don't fix how many sessions a school runs or how long each one is. They fix the frame: 20 hours in total, sessions in order, at most two a day, everything inside four weeks, following the schedule the school has on file with DDS. Within that frame, here's what happens at each stage.

Stage	What happens	Rule or policy
Registration	You sign an assessment contract and pay the assessment fee. You can't complete the assessment until that fee is paid in full.	DDS Policies Guide; Rule 375-5-6-.16
Assessment	You take the 130-question NEEDS Assessment in private. It's valid for one year.	DDS DUI FAQs; DDS Policies Guide
Before the class	You sign an intervention contract and pay the class fee. The school needs at least five paid contracts to run the class.	Rule 375-5-6-.15
30 minutes before session 1	Your assessment must already be processed. The instructor must arrive at least 30 minutes early.	DDS Policies Guide
Session 1	You sign the class roll at the start. If fewer than five students appear, the owner may teach, cancel or reschedule.	Rule 375-5-6-.15
Each following session	Sessions run in sequence. You sign the roll each time. Miss one and you can't attend the next.	Rule 375-5-6-.15; DDS Policies Guide
Two sessions in one day	Allowed, with a meal break of at least one hour between them.	Rule 375-5-6-.15; DDS Policies Guide
Final session	Your instructor gives the post-test, confirms every requirement is met and signs the class roll.	Rule 375-5-6-.15; DDS Policies Guide
Within 1 business day (48 hours at most)	The school issues your Certificate of Completion.	Rule 375-5-6-.23

Ask the school for its full session schedule before you sign anything. Rule 375-5-6-.15 requires classes to follow the schedule on file with DDS, and any changes have to be submitted to DDS before the class begins, so the dates you're given should be the dates you get.

The four-week rule and the two-sessions-a-day rule

DDS says that "in most cases, the entire 20-hour course roughly takes less than a week." The exact number of days depends on the school's schedule, because the rules allow up to two sessions a day. A school may spread the sessions across more days, or hold two in one day with a meal break between them.

The rules that shape every schedule:

• No more than two sessions in a single day. Together with the 20-hour total, that's why DDS describes the class as several days of lessons.
• All sessions within four weeks. Programs must schedule the class so every session is completed inside that window.
• Sessions in order. DDS policy says you must attend all sessions in sequence, and you can't go on to the next session after missing one.
• Same class, start to finish. Students from one class can't be mixed into another to finish sessions, except to make up an excused absence.
• Five to 40 students. A class needs at least five paid contracts and can't exceed 40 students or the school's certified maximum.

Before you sign up, look at every session date and time, not only the first one. DDS advises taking any scheduling conflicts into account before you sign a contract to attend.

How long do you have to finish DUI school?

Three timelines can apply, and it helps to keep them separate.

1. Your court's deadline. If a judge ordered you to complete DUI school, your sentencing paperwork may say by when. That deadline comes from your court, not from DDS or the school. If you can't tell what your order requires, ask your attorney or the court.
2. Your assessment's shelf life. The assessment is valid for one year. DDS policy says schools must tell you that, and that if you don't enroll in the class within that year, you'll need another assessment and another assessment fee. A new conviction in that year, or later, also requires a new assessment.
3. The four-week class window. Once your class starts, the school must schedule all sessions within four weeks.

Your license is the other clock. It stays suspended until you meet DDS's reinstatement requirements, and after a DUI your Certificate of Completion is one of them. Waiting to take the class usually means waiting longer to drive legally. One more timing rule: under Rule 375-3-3-.05, DDS only accepts a certificate for a course taken and completed after the violation date that caused your suspension, so a class from an earlier case won't count for this one.

How DUI school fits the 120-day reinstatement for a first DUI

For a first DUI in five years at age 21 or older, DDS suspends your license for 12 months. After 120 days, you can apply for reinstatement if you meet the conditions, which include presenting a Certificate of Completion from a DDS-approved Risk Reduction Program and paying the reinstatement fee.

Step	Timing
License suspended (first DUI in 5 years, age 21+)	12 months
Earliest you can apply to reinstate	After 120 days, if all conditions are met
DUI school (assessment plus 20-hour class)	Usually less than a week; all sessions within 4 weeks
Certificate issued by the school	Within 1 business day, no more than 48 hours, after you finish
Reinstatement fee paid to DDS	$200 by mail, $210 in person
SR-22 insurance filing	Kept on file for 3 years from the conviction date

Because the class itself only takes about a week, the thing most likely to hold you up at day 120 is not having started. Having your certificate ready before you reach that date means you can apply as soon as you're eligible. If you're thinking about starting before your case is resolved, read whether you can start DUI classes before your court date and check with your attorney.

If you refused the state's chemical test, the rules are different: DDS says a refusal brings a suspension of at least one year and makes you ineligible for a limited driving permit if you're convicted of a first DUI. Our guide to getting your license back after a DUI in Georgia covers each situation.

How DUI school fits the interlock and clinical evaluation periods

A second DUI changes the clocks around the class, not the class itself. The DDS Driver's Manual says a second DUI conviction within five years brings a suspension of at least 18 months. For the first 120 days you have no driving privileges at all, which the manual calls the "hard suspension." After that, you may be eligible to drive with a certified ignition interlock device installed for 12 months.

The 20-hour class fits inside that first 120 days if you want it to, and a live online class means you don't need a ride to get there. Two or more DUI convictions within 10 years also require documented proof of a state-approved clinical evaluation before DDS will reinstate, and the evaluation may recommend treatment. Plan for that on top of DUI school, and give it time: DDS policy says your school must send your assessment results to the evaluator you choose within five business days of your request. We explain the process in Second DUI in Georgia: the clinical evaluation and Ignition interlock in Georgia.

Excused absences and makeups

The rules make one exception to the "same class, start to finish" requirement. If your absence is excused, you may attend another class to make up the sessions you missed. An absence counts as excused if:

• you're called for military duty;
• you have a personal medical emergency, or a medical emergency involving an immediate family member; or
• there's a death in your immediate family.

The school owner may excuse other absences at their discretion, but doesn't have to. Everything else, including refunds, is governed by the contract you signed. DDS says the decision to issue a refund or make up a missed portion of the course is a matter between you and the school.

What delays people

Arriving late or missing a session

This is where most delays come from. DDS says students who arrive late to any session "can expect to be denied entry," and students who are absent or leave early may need to start the course over again at full cost. Because sessions run in sequence, missing one means you can't take the next, and without an excused absence you can't slot into another class to catch up.

A class cancelled for fewer than five students

Georgia's rules require a minimum of five paid contracts for a scheduled class, and if fewer than five students show up for the first session, the owner may teach, cancel or reschedule. DDS explains that the class depends on group interaction, which is hard with fewer than five people. If your class is cancelled, DDS allows your assessment results to be transferred to another school, and DDS policy says no transfer fee can be charged for a cancellation. The rules also note that a student can only be counted toward the five paid contracts three times while an assessment is valid, so repeated cancellations can eventually mean a new assessment.

Letting the assessment expire

If more than a year passes between your assessment and enrolling in the class, you'll pay for a new assessment before you can start.

Moving, or a school moving or closing

If you move at least 30 miles from your school, DDS allows your assessment to be transferred, for a fee of up to $25, after verbal approval from DDS. If your school relocates 10 or more miles, or announces it's closing, the rules let students with a valid assessment who haven't finished the class cancel for a full refund or transfer to another program at no charge.

Waiting on the court

Some people wait for sentencing before enrolling, some enroll right away. Which is right for you depends on your case and your attorney's advice. What's certain is that the class must be taken after the violation date, and the assessment is good for a year, so there's room to plan.

How to plan DUI school around work

• Get the whole schedule first. Every session date and time, before you sign. DDS says to weigh scheduling conflicts before you sign a contract.
• Block the full session, plus travel. No one may be admitted late or dismissed early, so a session that overlaps a shift by 15 minutes is a session you'll miss.
• Ask how the 20 hours are split. Two sessions in one day with a meal break can mean fewer days off work; one session a day can mean shorter blocks. Schools set this within the rules.
• Consider a live virtual class. It removes the drive, and DDS accepts it from a certified program.
• Sort out transportation. If your license is suspended, don't drive to class without a permit that allows it. DDS says a limited driving permit can cover attending a driver education program or an alcohol or drug assessment and treatment program, along with work, school, medical care and court. See Georgia limited driving permit after a DUI.
• Tell your employer only what you need to. Your assessment results and school records are confidential under Georgia's rules and can't be released without your written consent, a court order or another legal requirement.

How long until you get your certificate?

Georgia's rules require the school to issue your Certificate of Completion "within one business day, but no more than 48 hours," after you successfully complete all program requirements. Before it's issued, your instructor gives a post-test and confirms you've met every course requirement. The rules also forbid a school from withholding a certificate from a student who has completed all requirements because of unpaid fees.

Keep the certificate somewhere safe. If you lose it, the school that taught your class can issue a replacement within five business days for a fee of up to $20. Schools only have to keep student records for three years, so don't count on getting a copy many years later. For what the sessions themselves are like, see what you learn in DUI school.

Key terms

• Intervention Component: The 20-hour class: therapeutic education about alcohol, drug use and driving plus peer group counseling, using a DDS-approved curriculum.
• Assessment Component: The 130-question NEEDS Assessment, taken before the class and valid for one year.
• Session: A segment of the Intervention Component. No more than two per day, all within four weeks, always in order.
• Excused absence: Military duty, a personal or immediate-family medical emergency, or a death in your immediate family. The only absences the rules require a school to let you make up in another class.
• Certificate of Completion: The document issued within one business day of finishing both components. DDS needs it to reinstate your license.
• Hard suspension: The first 120 days of a second-DUI suspension, when no driving is allowed at all.
• Limited driving permit: A restricted permit that can allow driving to work, school, medical care, court and a driver education or alcohol/drug assessment and treatment program. DDS decides eligibility.

Start sooner with Athena DUI Academy

Athena DUI Academy & Family Enrichment in Athens is a Georgia DDS-certified Risk Reduction Program, RRP Cert #10432. We teach the full 20-hour class live online or in person at our Athens office, for the state price of $360.

You can't register and start class on the same day. You'll join our next scheduled class, so the sooner you sign up, the more choice of dates you'll have. Register online, or call 706.215.9661 Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm, and we'll help you pick a schedule you can keep. When needed, we send your certificate to your court, probation officer or clerk at no extra cost.

For everything else about the program, see our complete guide to Georgia DUI school or our DUI school in Athens page.